Destinations such as Castelló de la Plana, Moncofa, Vinaròs, Alcalà de Xivert, Cullera, València, Oliva, Benidorm, Orihuela, El Campello, Santa Pola and Pilar de la Horadada stand out by number of certificates Turisme Comunitat Valenciana has awarded the Qualitur 2024 Flag to a total of 204 beaches and coves in 39 municipalities of the Valencian Community, which have quality, environment or accessibility certificates, thus endorsing the excellence of this coastal tourist resource.
In this way, this summer in the province of Valencia the Q flag will fly in 17 municipalities, which are: Canet d´En Berenguer, Sagunto, Puçol, El Puig de Santa María, La Pobla de Farnals, Alboraya, València, El Perelló-Sueca , Cullera, Tavernes de la Valldigna, Xeraco, Daimús, Gandia, Bellreguard, Miramar, Piles and Oliva.
For its part, in the province of Alicante there will be a total of 11 municipalities: Dénia, Benissa, Altea, Benidorm, Villajoyosa, El Campello, Alicante, Santa Pola, Torrevieja, Orihuela and Pilar de la Horadada. And in Castellón, 11 destinations will also display the Qualitur flag, and they are: Vinaròs, Peñíscola, Alcalà de Xivert, Torreblanca, Oropesa, Benicàssim, Castelló de la Plana, Burriana, Nules, Moncofa and Chilches.
The Qualitur Flag recognizes the efforts of municipalities that offer beaches with clean waters and well-kept sands, surveillance measures, hygienic services, recreational facilities, environmental protection measures and the guarantee of their universal accessibility.
The Minister of Innovation, Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Nuria Montes, presented this Friday in Altea, accompanied by the General Director of Tourism, José Manuel Camarero, the recognitions to these 39 municipalities of the Valencian Community.
During his speech at the event, Montes highlighted that “each flag that flies on our beaches is a symbol of pride and belonging”; and has congratulated all the municipalities of the Valencian Community that from today will raise the Qualitur flag on their beaches, thus thanking “their work, their commitment to excellence and for understanding that the union of efforts allows us to offer the best of ourselves to who visit us,” he added.
In this context, the head of Turisme has stressed that “tourism is a vital source of economic and social development”, while advocating that it be managed “with responsibility and a vision of the future”.
130 certificates in quality, environment and accessibility
The Generalitat, through Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, grants this Q Flag award to all the beaches and coves of the Valencian Community that have a recognised certificate.
The models of excellence that are recognized are: ISO 9001 and Q Tourist Quality in terms of quality; ISO 14001, EMAs and S Regulations on Environmental Sustainability; and in accessibility the UNE 170001 Standard.
With this, the Valencian Community has 130 certificates distributed across 204 beaches and coves that will display the Q Flag this summer 2024 in recognition of its commitment to excellence.
Of the 130 certificates, 55.4% of the certificates are in quality, followed by environment, which represents 37.7% of the total certificates, and finally accessibility with 6.9%.
Q flags by provinces
By province, in Castellón a total of 11 municipalities have been awarded the 'Q Flag' 2024, bringing together a total of 35 certificates (26.9% of the total), and distributed over 70 beaches (representing 34.3% of the total ).
In terms of number of certificates, Castelló de la Plana stands out with 9 certificates and Moncofa with 6 certificates. And regarding the scope of the certificates, Vinaròs stands out with 23 beaches, and Alcalà de Xivert with 9. It should be noted that 73% of the awarded municipalities in Castellón have a certificate under ISO 14001, demonstrating their interest in the environmental management of this natural resource.
For its part, the province of Valencia has the largest number of municipalities with Qualitur flags, amounting to 17 destinations, which bring together 59 certificates (45.4% of the total) and distributed over 44 beaches, representing 22% of the total. In terms of the number of certificates, Cullera (with 12) and València stand out with 7. In terms of the number of beaches, Cullera also stands out, with 8 certified beaches and Oliva with 6.
With respect to the province of Alicante, 11 municipalities received the Qualitur flag this Friday, bringing together 36 certificates, which represent 27.8% of the total of the Valencian Community. Considering the number of beaches, it is positioned as the first province in the Community with 90 award-winning beaches, representing 44% of the total.
Benidorm has 10 certificates and Orihuela 7. In terms of the number of certified beaches, the municipalities of El Campello (15), Santa Pola (13) and Pilar de la Horadada (11) stand out. It should be noted that 55.6% of the awarded municipalities in Alicante have ISO 9001 and 35.7% have ISO 14001 Quality, demonstrating their interest in the quality and tourism sustainability of the province.